Karl-Anthony Towns injury update: The Knicks star has a bone chip in his sprained thumb, according to report

Karl-Anthony Towns suffers a bone chip in his sprained right thumb, Stefan Bondy New York Post Reports. The injury came on Monday when Towns’ New York Knicks lost to the Detroit Pistons. Towns hit his hand on the backboard on the drive, and the ensuing thumb sprain ruled him out of Wednesday’s win over the Philadelphia 76ers. After the match, Bundy reported that he suffered a broken bone as well as a sprain.

But the good news for the Knicks is that Towns is expected to play through the injury. He still has a sprain, but it’s the swelling in his right thumb that kept him out of the 76ers’ game, not a broken bone.

However, any type of injury to his right hand is very important for Towns. The four-time All-Star averaged 25.4 points per game in his first season with the Knicks, and he did so in large part thanks to his excellent 3-point shooting. He made 44.9% of his long-range attempts, a new career high.

The discomfort in that right thumb will obviously make it difficult for Towne to continue shooting at this level, so his tolerance for pain will be essential for the Knicks if they plan to make a serious run at the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. They currently trail the Boston Celtics by two games in the standings.

With the exception of Mitchell Robinson, who has yet to play this season, New York has been healthy this season. None of the five starters missed more than three games despite playing some basketball minutes. Now the durability is being put to the test, and only time will tell if Towns is able to continue his stellar season with an injured hand.